PATHANAMTHITTA: Braving the heavy rain, thousands gathered in Tiruvalla on Monday to bid farewell to Moran Mor Athanasius Yohan I, the Metropolitan of Believers Eastern Church.
Metropolitan Yohan (formerly K P Yohannan) passed away on May 8 following a car accident in Texas, US. The body was brought to the Kochi airport early on Sunday, from where it was taken in a mourning procession that passed via Niranam, his birthplace, around 6.30pm. The mortal remains were kept at the Believers Convention Centre in Tiruvalla on Monday for the public to pay homage.
Resident Bishop Joshua Mar Barnabas, Nepal Diocese Bishop Titus Mar Osthathios, Believers Eastern Church secretary Fr Danies Johnson and spokesperson Sijo Panthappallil were among the thousands of people who accompanied the funeral procession.
Monday’s public viewing was followed by late-night prayers and third-stage funeral services at the Church synod led by Chennai Diocese head Samuel Mar Theophilos Episcopa. Metropolitan Yohan’s son and US Diocese head Daniel Mor Timetheos, and other bishops, assisted the services.
Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Goa Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai, Ministers V N Vasavan, Saji Cherian , P Prasad, deputy speaker Chittayam Gopakumar, MPs K C Venugopal, Anto Antony, A M Ariff, Dean Kuriakose were among those who paid respects to the metropolitan.
Funeral today
At 9am on Tuesday, the seventh stage of funeral services will get underway. The procession with the metropolitan’s mortal remains to the St Thomas Believers Eastern Church Cathedral will begin at 10am, and the metropolitan will be laid to rest in a special tomb near the church’s ‘madbaha’ (inner sanctum) at 11am. The funeral will be held with state honours.
